I’m not sure if there’s anyone who hasn’t heard the name Anthony Bourdain, but for those who are unfamiliar with this pop culture icon, here’s a quick rundown: best-selling author, comic book creator, celebrity chef, journalist, TV host, world traveler, and Emmy and Peabody recipient. But more than that, he was a man who inspired generations not only to embark on adventures around the world—daring them to dismiss the life they’ve always known and embrace other cultures and ways of life—but also to challenge their appetites on a global scale.
There are many chapters in his long, extraordinary life that could have been brought to the big screen, but thanks to multiple interviews as well as four major travel docuseries, the world had the opportunity to see the latter half of Bourdain’s life before his passing. Director Matt Johnson (“BlackBerry,” “Nirvana the Band the Show”) wanted to show a more human side to someone the world saw as socially invincible. And there’s no better place to start than the beginning. As the man himself put it: “I was—to be frank—a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive, and thoughtless young lout, and badly in need of a good ass-kicking.” This is “Tony.”
A Misfit with Growing Up to Do
Dominic Sessa (“The Holdovers”) portrays young Tony, and he comes off as exactly that—a kid who just can’t seem to get out of his own way. The film does an excellent job of painting him as a misfit with a lot of growing up to do. Frustrated with how things are going, his high expectations for what he believes his life is supposed to reflect are derailed, and now reality is coming at him at full speed.
And I get it. I’m a self-proclaimed writer as well, working a 9-to-5, but somehow he has the nerve to maintain a condescending tone when addressing, well, anyone. No, I don’t know the origin of the word province, and stop silently judging me because of it. I wonder if this attitude was due to him believing he’s the smartest person in the room or simply a force of habit—with all that useless knowledge having to come out in some way. However, not once do you turn against the character, no matter how flawed he may seem; instead, the film feels like a mirror being pointed back at the audience, forcing us to remember the time when we thought we were the center of the universe and didn’t care about the wreckage we left behind on the quest toward whatever.
Banderas Puts in a Good Performance
Every good coming-of-age story needs a good mentor—someone to guide the protagonist to their destiny, or at least pour water on their face to wake them up from their delusions. Antonio Banderas gives a fantastic performance not only as a firm but fair chef (that’s his name, by the way: Chef), but as a genuine person with real-life experience—something that is completely foreign to our lead. I like to think his presence acts as a shoulder angel to combat the temptations that linger in Provincetown. No matter how the night ends, your responsibilities are still there in the morning.
One thing I particularly enjoyed in this film was the atmosphere in the kitchen. Anyone who has worked back-of-house can easily relate to being stuck in the dish pit with ticket after ticket and plate after plate coming at them with no end in sight. This serves as a visual echo of the stage “Tony” is in: chaotic, irritating, and at times dangerous. However, as with any kitchen, when the madness subsides, jokes start flying and laughter brings relief to a once-boiling room.
The Audience is Along for the Ride
Though the film is focused entirely on the one summer that altered the course of his life, it would have been nice to get more of a feel for what home was like for a young Tony. There are glimpses into the Bourdain household and the relationship between his parents, but at the first sign of trouble, instead of coming clean, he’s off to the races to become the man the world knows today.
And that’s what makes this biopic worth seeing. It’s not trying to white-knight his story, or even appeal to his global fanbase to pull in numbers. It’s a genuine story with characters that feel just as real as the stakes. You love them, you hate them, but you get to know everyone involved in this pivotal moment in Tony’s life. He’s not necessarily putting away his dreams, so much as becoming “Anthony”—and you’re just along for the ride.
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